15Jan16

Two Members of Al-Shabaab Sentenced for Conspiring to Provide Material
Support to the Terrorist Organization

Ali Yasin Ahmed, aka Ismail, 31, and Mohamed Yusuf, aka Abu Zaid, Hudeyfa
and Mohammed Abdulkadir, 33, were each sentenced to 11 years in prison by
U.S. District Judge John Gleeson of the Eastern District of New York for
conspiring to provide material support to al-Shabaab, a designated foreign
terrorist organization.

The sentences were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National
Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers of the Eastern District of
New York and Assistant Director in Charge Diego Rodriguez of the FBI's New
York Field Office.

As stated in court today and according to court documents, between
approximately December 2008 and August 2012, the defendants served as
members of al-Shabaab in Somalia, where they supported al-Shabaab and its
extremist agenda. In early August 2012, the defendants were apprehended in
East Africa by local authorities while on their way to Yemen. On Nov. 14, 2012,
the FBI took custody of the defendants and brought them to the Eastern District
of New York for prosecution. They pleaded guilty on May 12, 2015.

"Ahmed and Yusuf travelled to Somalia to fight on behalf al-Shabaab as part of
the terrorist organization's cadre of foreign fighters," said Assistant Attorney
General Carlin. "The National Security Division remains committed to identifying,
disrupting and holding accountable all who seek to provide material support to
and fight on behalf of designated foreign terrorist organizations."

"These defendants left their adopted European homes to support al-Shabaab, a
violent terrorist organization that has demonstrated its capabilities and motives in
numerous terrorist attacks overseas and has publicly called for attacks against
the United States," said U.S. Attorney Capers. "Today's significant sentences
reflect the seriousness of the defendants' criminal conduct and will serve as a
strong deterrent to others considering the path to violence."

"The guilty plea and sentencing of these men for providing material support to
al-Shabaab, demonstrates the U.S. government's commitment and leadership in
prosecuting persons whose intention is to violently assault societies different
than their own," said Assistant Director in Charge Rodriguez. "We remain
steadfast in identifying and stopping such attacks. We will continue to work
within the framework of the U.S. justice system to hold terrorists accountable for
their malicious intentions and criminal actions. Special thanks to all our law
enforcement and intelligence community partners on the JTTF, whose joint
efforts keep us safe. We are also grateful for the international cooperation we
received to bring these terrorism subjects to justice."

The defendants, both naturalized Swedish citizens, traveled to Somalia intending
to wage violent jihad on the U.N.-sanctioned African Union Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM) and Somali government forces that were attempting to bring stability
to that war-torn country. Once in Somalia, the defendants participated in
numerous attacks on government forces. Yusuf is featured in an al-Shabaab
propaganda video in which he encourages young men to travel to Somalia and
join al-Shabaab and threatened a cartoonist who had depicted the prophet
Mohammad. A third defendant, Madhi Hashi, is scheduled to be sentenced on
Jan. 29, 2016.

Assistant Attorney General Carlin joined U.S. Attorney Capers in thanking the
federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who participate in the FBI's
Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shreve Ariail, Seth
D. DuCharme and Richard M. Tucker of the Eastern District of New York, along
with Trial Attorney Annamartine Salick of the National Security Division's
Counterterrorism Section. Trial Attorney Shanna Batten of the Department of
Justice's Office of International Affairs and Dan Stigall of the National Security
Division also provided invaluable assistance.

This document has been published on 01Feb16 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a
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